The Shadow Box: A Drama in Two Acts

Absolutely worthy of the Pulitzer and Tony recognition it received, THE SHADOW BOX has seven meaty roles for actors. It might have been enough for a playwright simply to personify each of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's now-famous five stages of grief, but Michael Cristofer does far more than that, creating fully-realized characters each of whom has a clearly-defined arc.The show was a revelation on its debut in the early days of the hospice movement, but it may be even more essential now that two years of pandemic have saturated us with reminders of our mortality.When I first directed THE SHADOW BOX 40 years ago, I thought that it was about death and dying. It's not. It's about living... until you die.

After being asked to perform a scene from this play for a graduate-level gerontology class, I was enamored of the writing and decided to purchase the whole play for a better look.Michael Cristofer delves into the topic of death and dying with everything from kid gloves to bare fists as we follow 3 families into their own personal struggles with death, whether it is the patient's own fears or a family member's denial:Brian is dying of an unnamed illness, and is being cared for by his younger lover, Mark. He gets a visit by his brash party-loving ex-wife Beverly who uses humor to create her own comfort zone. Past, present and future collide as they all state their feelings about what this means to them. Beverly's no-holds-barred character adds a dry element of humor to the play, making some parts almost a black comedy.Maggie is coming to visit her husband Joe in the hospice, and is so far into denial about it that she has not told their teenage son the truth, and refuses to even enter the hospice. Seeing it or speaking about it makes it real, and she's not ready for that.Felicity is aged and has had so many surgeries there's not much of her left. She's being cared for by a middle-aged daughter, Agnes, who is keeping herself just this side of burning out. Felicity receives daily letters from her favorite daughter, Claire, who is apparently on her way to visit the woman who has surpassed all her doctors' expectations on her life expectancy. Through the voice of a phantom "interviewer" who speaks to the characters one by one, we find from the caregiving daughter that Claire actually died in an accident a while ago, and she never told her mother. Agnes has been writing the letters to keep her mother happy until she finally passes. However, we learn that people can negotiate their deaths by waiting for an estranged love one, meaning Agnes has inadvertently prolonged Felicity's process.This play won numerous awards on the stage, and its TV movie adaptation won an Emmy. While this play is about death, the careful exploration gives us a look into our own fears, and the hope that acceptance can be reached while we still are here to live the time we have left. It is a masterpiece of the human experience.

...and it's stuck with me ever since. As far as I know, it was never made into any television or film versions, which is a shame. I recall being very impressed and moved by the storylines, haunted by them, really. I think it will be a very difficult read, depending how close these stories hit home for you, but I'm looking forward to it.

Very powerful piece. Good balance of male and female characters. Would work nicely for college or progressive high school production.

Great scenes for acting classes

exactly what I wanted. Good description

Very moving and interesting play centered around four families and their dying loved ones in a hospice-house setting. Each group deals with death in their own way.

Best price and the item exactly matched the description. Thanks again for being honest about the item. Continue the good work